High temperature and nib acidification during cacao-controlled fermentation improve cadmium transfer from nibs to testa and the liquor’s flavor

Abstract Migration of nib Cd to the testa during fermentation can be achieved with high temperatures (> 45 °C) and low nib pH values ( nib Cd) from the fourth day. Cd migration could increase by extensive fermentation until the sixth day in high temperatures and probably by the adsorbent capacity of the testa. Genotype-by-treatment interactions were present for the nib Cd reduction, and a universal percentage of decrease of Cd for each genotype with fermentation cannot be expected. Selecting genotypes with highly adsorbent testa combined with controlled temperatures would help reduce the Cd concentration in the cacao raw material, improving its safety and quality.